Before this post I’d never heard of Cecile Chaminade.
And now, listening to her ‘6 Romances sans paroles’ am wondering why not.
Portrait of Cécile Chaminade
Guessford - The World's Work, 1909:
https://archive.org/stream/worldswork17gard#page/10954/mode/2up
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Commentary
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Before this post I’d never heard of Cecile Chaminade.
And now, listening to her ‘6 Romances sans paroles’ am wondering why not.
Although in her day she was popular and her songs always found a publisher and always made money, she is not played as often as her male counterparts from that era.
We’re likely talking gender discrimination here.
In terms of looking past race, gender, disabilities, and other adjectives, today’s twenty-year-olds, my daughter’s generation, are much advanced from the older generations.
Social change is glacial but the history of our country demonstrates that as long as we keep pushing we’ll make progress.
Slowly, but certainly.
Our kids are the proofs.
But meanwhile, Cecile and women like her are suffering the pains of discrimination.
And now, listening to her ‘6 Romances sans paroles’ am wondering why.
The hours are ticking away and if we don’t make the most of our time another day will soon click past.
Unnoticed.
Unappreciated.
Tick Tock.
In clock language:
Enjoy today.
Enjoy the week.
letter
A dog walks into a pub, and takes a seat. He says to the barman, "Can I have a pint of lager and a packet of crisps please". The barman says, "Wow, that's amazing! You should join the circus!" The dog replies, "Why? Do they need electricians?"
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Tracking Postings – Tracking Time
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Our 452nd consecutive posting, committed to 5,000.
After 452 posts we’re at the 9.04 percentile of our commitment, that commitment a different way of marking the passage of time.
Time of posting is 12.01am on Tuesday.
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Weather
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
On this Tuesday Boston will experience hot temperatures, with a high of 82* and a feels-like of 93* with a mix of clouds and sun.
After today, the next days look lovely, seventies and eighties with a mix of sun and clouds.
Anyone complaining?
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Dinner
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Dinner Sunday was a second helping of the perfectly prepared Roast Duck with baked potato, broccoli rabe with goose fat, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper.
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Chuckle of the Day:
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
A dog walks into a pub, and takes a seat.
He says to the barman, "Can I have a pint of lager and a packet of crisps please".
Pulling the beer, the barman says, "Wow, you’re amazing! You should join the circus!"
The dog pauses before crunching a crisp and says, "Why? Do they need electricians?"
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We love getting mail.
Contact me at domcapossela@hotmail.com
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
This from Tommie T from So Carolina responding to the post re: gaining weight:
Our hormones change - including men. I am reading several books on nutrition. Will send you the titles when I get home. I am at the beach now. It is not just metabolism. Aging changes things. We have control over so much and so little. You look good. Enjoy!
Web Meister Responds: Thanks for the encouragement.
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Today’s Thumbnail
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade (8 August 1857 – 13 April 1944) was a French composer and pianist who toured France several times in her early years.
In 1892 made her debut in England, where her work was extremely popular.
Isidor Philipp, head of the piano department of the Paris Conservatory championed her works.
She repeatedly returned to England during the 1890s and made premieres there with singers such as Blanche Marchesi and Pol Plançon, though this activity decreased after 1899 due to bad critical reviews.
Chaminade married a music publisher from Marseilles, Louis-Mathieu Carbonel, in 1901, and on account of his advanced age, the marriage was rumored to be one of convenience. He died in 1907, and Chaminade did not remarry.
In 1908 she visited the United States, where she was accorded a hearty welcome.
Her compositions were tremendous favorites with the American public, and such pieces as the Scarf Dance or the Ballet No. 1 were to be found in the music libraries of many lovers of piano music of the time.
She composed a Konzertstück for piano and orchestra, the ballet music to Callirhoé and other orchestral works.
Her songs, such as The Silver Ring and Ritournelle, were also great favorites.
Ambroise Thomas once said of Chaminade: "This is not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman."
In 1913, she was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, a first for a female composer.
In London in 1903, she made gramophone recordings of seven of her compositions for the Gramophone and Typewriter Company; these are among the most sought-after piano recordings by collectors, though they have been reissued on compact disk.
Although her piano salon music and songs won widespread popularity, her more serious works, which include an opera, a ballet, and orchestral suites, were less successful, especially among critics.
Yet almost all her compositions were published during her lifetime, and they sold well.
Her music is elegant, tuneful, and often witty, and it is probable that critical evaluations of her music through much of the 20th century were based more on gender stereotypes than on the qualities of the work.
I’ve tried writing a list of accomplished women whose career was diminished by gender discrimination. Too long.
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Good Morning on this Tuesday, the second day of July, 2019
Our lead picture celebrated the life of Cecile Chaminade.
Our commentary dealt with gender discrimination.
We posted the Boston weather report, the ticking calendar, and the growing number of posts as a calendar marker.
We posted our dinner and a note from Tommie.
Our chuckle: a dog ordering a lager at a bar
And now? Gotta go.
Che vuoi? Le pocketbook?
See you soon.
Your love.